GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Rapids Community College President Steven Ender is a highly effective leader, and is helping the school accomplish goals ranging from student satisfaction to improving transfer rates to four-year schools.

That's according to Ender's newly released annual evaluation by GRCC's Board of Trustees.

And while three of the college’s 28 success indicators declined this year, the board expressed confidence that measures implemented during Ender’s tenure will help those areas improve in the future.

“No doubt, the future will bring more daunting challenges,” the evaluation said, “but under the leadership of President Ender Grand Rapids Community College will continue to serve our community with distinction.”

While Ender’s evaluation was based upon the college’s success indicators, it also took into account how well he’s positioning the college for the future and adherence to executive limitations, which cover areas such as academic freedom and treatment of people.

Bert Bleke, who chairs GRCC’s Board of Trustees, said he and the college’s other board members spent a “tremendous” amount of time looking carefully at Ender’s performance.

“I think the evaluation reflects a very studious, open-minded approach,” he said. “We think he’s done a great job and we suspect that he’ll continue to improve.”

The evaluation established 10 areas board members would like to see the college make further progress on, which include completion, cost of education, faculty and staff engagement, fundraising and diversity.

One of those areas – faculty and staff engagement – has been a problem for Ender in the past, according to a 2013 survey of college faculty.

The survey showed Ender’s administration received low marks in categories such as senior leadership, faculty administration and staff relations and shared governance. The survey, conducted by an outside group, had a 34.5 percent response rate, with 98 faculty taking part.

After the survey results were released, Ender said he was planning several meetings with faculty, where they would have an opportunity to discuss Ender’s job performance and see how the two groups could improve their relationship.

In Ender’s evaluation, trustees wrote that faculty and staff have been faced with “difficult adjustments” in recent years with the implementation of pay freezes and a new evaluation system.

Trustees said they “acknowledge” Ender’s effort to prioritize listening and communication with faculty and staff, and they said they encourage “continued efforts in this direction.”

“We think that the president has made some strides in his communication with the faculty and staff, and we want to see that improve in the future and we think it will,” Bleke said.

Brian McVicar covers education for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at bmcvicar@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter